HSV in Munich: Van der Vaart warns of bitter goals conceded!

HSV in Munich: Van der Vaart warns of bitter goals conceded!

On Saturday at 6:30 p.m. it's that time again: Hamburger SV has to play against FC Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena. The signs are anything but rosy for the Hanseatic League, who enter the game with a poor form curve. Rafael van der Vaart, former HSV star, has already expressed pessimism about his former team's chances. He sums up the situation by saying that “anything under five goals conceded would be considered good for HSV.” As Welt reports, this reflects the weak record of Hamburg, who have conceded at least 50 goals in the last eight meetings against Bayern.

The latest results do not speak for HSV. A disappointing 0-0 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach was followed by a 0-2 defeat against FC St. Pauli. The previous meetings with Bayern ended in a series of heavy defeats - the last time HSV fought for a point against Bayern was in 2014, since then there have been six lost games with a goal difference of 31:1.

A look back at legendary duels

There were many exciting encounters in the history of the two teams, especially in the 70s and 80s. The 29th matchday of the 1981/82 season remains unforgettable for HSV fans, when HSV won the game 4-3 after being 3-1 behind and became champions. The last victory in the Allianz Arena is now a long time ago - dated back to April 28, 2007, when van der Vaart equalized with a dropkick to make it 2-1. The Bundesliga highlights that HSV has only suffered two draws and numerous heavy defeats in Munich since then, including a devastating 0:8.

Bayern's form curve is currently showing a completely different picture. Bayern are turning heads with a convincing 6-0 win against RB Leipzig and a 3-2 win against FC Augsburg. They are still favorites for the championship, while HSV has to worry about staying in the league. In this context, coach Merlin Polzin emphasized that they don't want to dwell on the past. Instead, it's important to make the best of the situation and hope for a strong performance - and perhaps a special moment, similar to van der Vaart's, can turn things around.

The meeting of generations

Another interesting aspect of the game is the possible meeting between Joshua Kimmich and Yussuf Poulsen, who once went to school as childhood friends. They were both in a close friendship at the time of their 12 years. This season, Kimmich has already played the full distance in both games, while Poulsen has so far been a substitute. It will be interesting to see whether these two continue to be close teammates or compete against each other more often.

Although the outlook seems bleak, Polzin maintains a positive mindset. His players have no choice but to put the past behind them and go into the game with determination. For Hamburg, it will be a matter of possibly surprising in terms of points with a strong performance and a weak performance from Bayern.